The Big Question
by Hayley128
Summary: Set toward the end of season three.  Richard Castle sees a window of opportunity where Kate Beckett's concerned and decides to finally take it.


Title: The Big Question

Rating: PG

Pairing: Rick/Kate

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I make no money from this.

Summary: Set toward the end of season three. Richard Castle sees a window of opportunity where Kate Beckett's concerned and decides to finally take it.

A/N: just a short one while I attempt to work on something bigger.

* * *

Richard Castle didn't think he'd ever been as nervous as he was right now and that confused him more than anything. He wasn't the type of person to get as nervous as he was just at the thought of asking someone out.

He wanted to think he was being pressured into it but that wasn't entirely the case. Sure, people at the station had talked to him and his mother definitely talked to him about what he should be doing but their words alone wouldn't make him do what he was about to do. He knew he could be influenced or inspired but every decision was his own in the end.

Rick never lacked confidence and knew he looked good but that didn't stop him from making sure his shirt was straight and his hair wasn't looking weird several times. Alexis had even commented on it earlier in the day. He only laughed it off and for once didn't tell her the reason behind his nervous actions. He only would if he was successful.

Last week when he and Kate Beckett had been deep in the murder investigation of a teenager found in an alley without identification, something happened. Kate's relationship with her boyfriend, Josh, seemingly fell apart without much warning. Rick had known there were some problems, most having to do with their work schedules, but he never knew they were fighting.

They had broken up right when he had been running into the station to tell her a theory he had on their murder. Josh, a nice guy right to the end, greeted him, smiled and walked away and his partner managed to compose herself and deflect his questions, instead having him focus on why he had been rushing in. It was only later that night when she admitted to the break up and quickly stated it wasn't the time to discuss it. Rick had respected her wishes but then people started talking to him about it.

Everyone at the station seemed to gossip as much as a group of teenage girls because even though Rick didn't say anything about what he saw to anyone, within hours the entire building seemed to know Kate was single once again. As soon as the case was done, Ryan and Esposito told him that he needed to man up. Ryan pointed out that everyone knew how he and Kate felt about each other and that she wouldn't stay single for long. Esposito added that he would be an idiot if he blew his chance now.

He thought that would be all he would get but Esposito must have called in backup because when he tried to leave Lanie ended up in the elevator with him. He figured she'd tell him exactly what the boys had but she surprised him. She told him what had happened before he left for the Hamptons. She told him Kate was going to say yes.

When he came back to the city in the fall no one told him what went on when he was gone and he never talked about what happened before it. He knew everyone was mad at him but no one told him why and then everything went back to normal. It seemed he was clueless when it came to reading what had gone on then.

After that encounter he thought he was done and could think about what he should do on his own but the guys must have thought a full court press was the best way to go. When he got home his mother was waiting to give him an earful of unsolicited advice.

She didn't tell him anything he didn't already know but hearing it again did what she probably wanted it to. He had many things to think about.

He took a few days to write and think. There was no denying how much he liked Kate Beckett. She challenged him in ways no one ever had but she had a soft side, too. She genuinely cared about the victims of the crimes she solved and was furiously dedicated to finding justice for them. Slowly, he had discovered her quirky side as well and by then he realized there wasn't a side he didn't like.

After those few days Rick realized everyone was right. This was a now or never situation. Someone like Kate wouldn't stay single for long unless it was by choice and even then he didn't think the window was very big. That was why he'd ended things with Gina and decided to take the next huge step.

Now he was on his way to the station and hoped he would be able to speak to her semi-privately. He had thought about going to her apartment the night before and talking with her there but for some reason the thought of rejection there seemed to be worse than at the station. Maybe it was the familiarity of the building but he felt his chances improved there.

He smiled and gave polite nods to officers on the way in but kept the comments to a minimum. He kept repeating what he was going to say in his head.

There were too many different ways to say what he wanted. Should he address her as Beckett or Kate? If he said Kate she would know something was up right away and he didn't know if that was a good thing. He also didn't know if he should be serious about the question or if he should make it more casual. Should he make it very clear that if they went out it would be a date or should he be vague about it for now? All the decisions were part of the reason he needed a few days to think about what he should do with the knowledge the woman he wanted was now available.

Rick rode in the elevator alone and when the doors opened he could see Kate walking to her desk with a cup of coffee in her hand. They weren't working a case at the moment so he could only guess she was catching up on paperwork. That was a big reason he was more than okay with simply being an observer in an investigation: he never had to complete all the tedious paperwork the rest of them did.

He looked around and didn't see anyone who would stop and talk to him so he walked over to her desk as smoothly as he could. Trying to get any apprehensiveness out of his head, he sat down in what was now considered his chair and smiled.

Kate looked up and did a double take. "Castle . . . what are you doing here?"

For a moment his mind went blank and he just stared at her. Thankfully, it wasn't in his nature to panic over a situation like the one he was in and he recovered fast. "I stopped by to talk to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay. What's going on?"

"Could we," he started then simply pointed toward the break room. It looked empty and that was as good a place as any.

"Sure," Kate answered with a small nod and walked ahead of him as they walked into the break room.

Rick continued to look around as he followed her. He knew that if one of the guys or even Captain Montgomery saw him walking with Kate to a semi-private area on a day when he wasn't even supposed to be there they might do something that would sidetrack him. There couldn't be any interruptions now that he was so close to doing what everyone, including himself, thought he should do.

Once they reached the room, which was empty, Kate turned to him with a questioning look on her face. "Okay, Castle, what's up?"

He smiled. "We've known each other awhile, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said and gave him a suspicious look. "You're not about to tell me Nikki Heat's going to be naked on the cover of the next book again, are you? You know I get a lot of crap for that."

Rick shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that." He paused. "I've watched you, followed you around for awhile now and I like to think I've gotten to know you fairly well."

"I think I've got a few items you haven't found out yet," Kate said with a small smile. "I never know what'll end up in a book."

The look on her face made Rick know she was joking so he continued. "I've also stood by when you went out with Demming and then with Josh and now . . ."

"Castle . . ."

"I didn't know," Rick said quickly before Kate could say anything and he knew she wanted to say something. "Sometimes I don't see what's right in front of me and I didn't know you were going to say yes."

"What are you . . ."

"When I went to the Hamptons last summer," he explained. "I didn't know you were going to say yes to going with. If I had, I never would've invited Gina to go with me. I wanted you there."

"I don't understand what that has to do with my breakup with Josh," Kate said quietly. The look on her face said she knew differently though.

"Kate, you're the most interesting person I've ever met and I researched dozens and dozens of interesting people," Rick said. "I've never met someone who cares as much as you or someone who deserves all the respect you get. You're the only person other than my mother I would trust to look after Alexis . . . and you're more responsible than my mother."

"Rick, I don't know what . . ."

"Just let me finish, okay?" he asked and let out a breath when Kate nodded her agreement. "I've learned so much following you. You challenge me in ways no one has and I hope that's mutual and not in a bad way for you."

He took another breath as he prepared how he wanted to say what he wanted. "My mother once asked me why I put myself in danger when I have enough information to write Nikki Heat into any situation I wanted. I didn't want to admit it but it's not just for the research anymore. I want to be around you."

Rick stopped to see if Kate would say anything but she didn't. Instead, she seemed to be processing what he was saying. He tried to read the expression on her face but he couldn't. After a moment, he decided she was either thinking of a way to turn him down or was in shock that he actually said what he was feeling.

"I was thinking we could go out to dinner," he said without any apprehension in his voice. "If you're not doing anything tonight we should go out. I know the chef at this great new restaurant, we could definitely get in."

Kate looked away and Rick thought maybe he was mistaken, maybe everyone was. Maybe she didn't feel the same as him. "Tonight?"

"Do you have plans?"

"Well, I have all this paperwork to catch up on," she said as she momentarily looked to her desk but there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Not exactly something you have Nikki do in your books."

"Come on, take the night off. I promise it'll be entertaining."

Kate smiled and when she met his eyes he knew exactly what she would say. "Okay, I guess I can finish everything else in the morning."

Rick smiled, not quite believing how happy her yes had made him. "Great, I'll stop by your apartment at eight."

"Okay."

"It's a date."

The End


End file.
